4 mistakes the Houston Texans must avoid in the off-season
By Avery Duncan
Overpaying in free agency
This doesn’t just apply to Le’Veon Bell, who is expected to see one of the largest contracts for a running back in NFL history in March. Rather, it applies to those free agents that are the top of the class in the positions that the Texans need upgrading in such as Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby, and New England Patriots left tackle Trent Brown.
The Texans need help at tackle, cornerback, and to a certain extent, running back, but they must be smart with their abundance of cap space. They have to make extending Deshaun Watson, Will Fuller V, and Zach Cunningham priorities down the road, and will likely look to retain some of their own impactful free agents such as Jadeveon Clowney, Tyrann Mathieu, and/or Kareem Jackson.
Paying Ronald Darby, a talented yet injury-prone cornerback, top dollar could end up haunting the Texans down the line. The same can be said for Le’Veon Bell, and Trent Brown, who each have their fair share of red flags.
In 2017, the Minnesota Vikings gave tackle Riley Reiff a massive five-year, $58.75 million deal. In 2018, the New York Giants struck a deal with tackle Nate Solder to the tune of four-years, and $62 million. So far, both have been disasters. The Texans don’t want to make those same mistakes in 2019, when (if) tackles Trent Brown, Ja’Wuan James, and Daryl Williams hit the open market.
In free agency, good players get paid like great ones. And no matter the Texans need for talent across the offensive line and secondary, overpaying for talent is not a move they want to make if they intend to preserve their current core.